THE MINISTER SIN

Chapter two

Jason

Washington, D.C., United States

The private jet was waiting on the tarmac.

I walked toward it without looking back, my hands buried in the pockets of my trousers. Kaine followed beside me, silent for several minutes.

That silence didn't last.

"Boss."

I stopped at the bottom of the stairs and glanced at him.

"Why did you choose that building?"

I said nothing.

Kaine continued. "You knew who owned it."

It wasn't a question.

"The owner is Matty Mitchell," he said. "She's running for president, and she's almost guaranteed to win the election."

I climbed the first step. Kaine followed.

"So why that building?"

I didn't answer.

He sighed. "And before you tell me it was a coincidence, we both know you don't believe in those."

I stopped and looked at him.

"Are you finished?"

He held my gaze.

"No."

A cold look was all it took.

Kaine finally shut his mouth.

We boarded the jet.

A few minutes later, I settled into my seat as the cabin doors closed. Kaine sat across from me.

He was quiet for perhaps thirty seconds.

Then

"What if she finds out what happened?"

I looked at him.

"I've got it covered."

He studied my face.

"You know her before?"

My expression hardened.

"Stop all this questioning."

Kaine went silent.

Good.

The engines roared beneath us.

As the jet began moving, I leaned back and closed my eyes.

Matty.

I knew she was there.

That's why I chose the building.

Dane didn't just happen to run in there trying to hide. Everything had gone exactly the way I wanted it to.

Now she knows my name.

She would start searching. Digging into my past. Looking for anything she could use against me.

She would try to take me down.

I couldn't wait.

Because every question she asked would only pull her deeper into my world.

And one day, I would have her in my arms.

Not as a stranger hiding behind a concrete pillar.

Not as the woman trying to uncover my secrets.

As mine.

A slow smile touched my lips.

Matty had no idea what she'd just stepped into.

Abuja, Nigeria

An hour later, the jet landed in Abuja.

My driver was already waiting beside the black SUV, with my security detail positioned nearby. Kaine had his own car waiting for him.

The convoy pulled away from the airport.

By the time I arrived at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, several officials were already waiting outside the conference room.

"Good morning, sir."

"Good morning, Mr. Adeleke."

I nodded and walked inside.

The room fell silent.

The Ministers of Defence, Interior, Justice, and Finance were already seated around the long conference table, along with several senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

I took my seat.

"Let's begin."

The Minister of Defence pushed a file across the table.

"We've received a formal request from the United States concerning the shipment intercepted at the Port of Lagos three days ago."

I opened the file.

"They're requesting immediate access to the investigation," he continued.

"They're requesting more than access," I said calmly. "They're asking us to disclose the identities of everyone connected to the shipment before our own investigation is complete."

The room went quiet.

The Minister of Interior cleared his throat.

"I don't see why we're making this complicated. We should release the names and allow the Americans to take over the investigation. It would show that Nigeria has nothing to hide."

A few ministers exchanged glances.

I stared at him for a moment.

"That's your solution?"

His brows furrowed.

"Yes."

I leaned back in my chair.

"That's not a solution."

The room became quieter.

"It's an invitation."

The minister shifted in his seat.

"How?"

"You're suggesting we hand over an active Nigerian investigation simply because another country is applying pressure." My voice remained calm. "That's not cooperation. That's surrender."

He opened his mouth, but I continued.

"And frankly, it's remarkably insensitive to the people whose lives are affected by this investigation."

The minister's expression tightened.

"If we refuse, we risk damaging our relationship with the United States."

"If we comply blindly, we risk damaging our credibility."

I folded my hands on the table.

"We are not choosing between being cooperative and being difficult. We're choosing between being intelligent and being careless."

Nobody spoke.

I looked around the table.

"The Americans can have everything they're legally entitled to. Nothing more."

The Minister of Justice nodded slowly.

"And if they push?"

A faint smile touched my lips.

"Then we remind them that Nigeria is an ally, not an extension of their government."

A few ministers exchanged glances.

I leaned back.

"The easiest way to lose respect at an international table is to enter it desperate for approval."

The room remained silent for a beat.

Then the Minister of Defence gave a quiet chuckle.

"That's why you're the youngest person in this room, yet somehow the most difficult to argue with."

A few quiet laughs followed.

I allowed myself a small smile.

The discussion continued, moving through the remaining diplomatic concerns on the agenda. I listened carefully, weighing every suggestion before responding.

By the time the meeting came to an end, the room had settled into a quieter rhythm.

I closed my folder and stood.

Calm.

Polite.

Professional.

Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria

By the time I reached my penthouse in Lekki, the city had already slipped into the evening.

I walked into the sitting room, loosened my tie, and pulled off my shirt before tossing it over the back of a chair. I crossed into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and grabbed two apples.

I didn't eat them.

Instead, I walked toward the hallway.

There was one room in the penthouse that no one entered without my permission.

I unlocked the door.

The lights came on.

Photographs covered the walls.

Matty.

At different events. Walking into buildings. Speaking to reporters. Standing beside her father. Leaving her car. Smiling for cameras.

Years of photographs.

Years of watching.

My gaze moved to the enormous screen mounted on the opposite wall.

A live feed filled it.

Matty was sitting inside her office at her father's company, a folder open in front of her as she went through several documents.

It was morning in Washington.

She looked tired, but she was still working.

Her phone suddenly lit up beside her.

It rang once.

Twice.

Three times.

She finally reached for it.

"Hey."

"Miss President."

Matty's expression softened immediately.

"Babeeeee," she whispered.

"You don't miss me at all. No calls, no messages, nothing."

"I'm so sorry, baby. I've been very busy. You know I love you, right?"

"Then let us meet up later today."

Matty smiled.

"Okay. Later today."

I watched her smile.

Something inside me changed.

The amusement disappeared from my face, replaced by something much colder.

Her girlfriend- Kathy

My jaw tightened.

"Maybe..." I murmured, my eyes fixed on the screen. "Maybe I'll still have to get rid of this Bloody whore."

I switched off the television.

The room went dark.

I turned and walked out, heading toward my bedroom.

It had been a very long day.